Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar has held "very productive" talks with the top military brass of the Maldives to further bolster bilateral defence and security cooperation.
The Maldives is one of India's key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region and the bilateral defence and security ties have been on an upward trajectory in the last few years.
"Delighted to be in Maldives for the 3rd Defence Cooperation Dialogue. Had very productive discussions. Deeply appreciate warm hospitality of @cdfofmndf Maj Gen Abdulla Shamaal," Mr Kumar tweeted on Monday, a day after the talks in Male.
In November, India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka held a two-day maritime operation in the Indian Ocean, signalling a resolve to jointly keep the region safe and secure including for international trade.
Major General Abdulla Shamaal, the Chief of Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) said that the Defence Cooperation Dialogue (DCD) is instrumental in "time-honoured" defence cooperation between the two countries.